Courtship: Yellow-shafted Flicker

My plans for visiting the lake this morning were thwarted by high wind so instead I chose to visit a small wetland near home. Numerous waterfowl species were present including Canada Geese, Wood Ducks, Mallards, and Ringed-necked Ducks but photography was quite difficult due to the brush along the waters edge and the shyness of the ducks. I did manage to capture my best Wood Duck drake photos to date and will share them in a later post. Also I sighted my first Osprey for the year.

The highlight of the morning was this encounter of a pair of Northern Yellow-shafted flickers engaged in their spring mating ritual.

I was busy photographing a single flicker, attempting to capture a good portrait while the branches it was perched in swayed in the high winds, when the second bird arrived. The scene became much more interesting as the two birds began interacting.

It is difficult for me to believe that a full year has passed since Misty Dawn invited me to participate in her new meme Camera Critters. Thanks Misty for a great meme and thank you for all of the dedication and work keeping it going.

Visit Camera Critters, if you haven’t already post a Critter of your own, and join in for the second year of CAMERA CRITTERS.